Friends of an acclaimed Scottish writer have accused the Con-Dem government's crackdown on welfare benefits as a factor in his suicide.

Paul Reekie was part of a wave of young Scottish authors, along with Irvine Welsh, who rose to international prominence in the 1990s, killed himself in his Edinburgh home last month.

The writer and poet, 48 years old, left no suicide note but friends say letters informing him that his welfare benefits were to be halted were found close to his body.

Reekie's former publisher, Kevin Williamson, believes the introduction of measures to slash Britain's welfare bill, helped to push his close friend and literary collaborator towards taking his own life.

In a letter to chancellor George Osborne, Williamson, the founder of Rebel Inc publishers has sent a the Con-Dem attack on benefits to Reekie's death, stating:"It has come to my attention that while many of my friends and I were at the funeral of our good friend Paul Reekie, aged 48, it would appear that you were giving a speech in Parliament announcing your intentions to slash the benefits paid to the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.

"I thought I would let you know that Paul took his own life. He didn't leave a note but he laid out two letters on his table. One was notifying him that his housing benefit had been stopped. The other was notifying him that his incapacity benefit had been stopped.

"The reason I'm writing this letter is just so you know the human cost of attacking those on benefits."

Williamson, explained he did not expect a quick reply:

"The letter will be binned and forgotten, but there will be loads more folk in Paul's shoes over the coming years trying to cope with unemployment, depression, house repossessions and stress."